New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-13
ESvOY.
THE JULLABAD TRAGEDY.
THE CATASTROPHE.

with deeper feeling of pity seldom expressed at
all that the station heard OF Colonel liumoy
marriage. Colonel lIumby was Deputy Commits
sioner of the district of Jullabad 1hs was
his second marriage, and his former wife was not
year dead The nearer TO hfty years
of age than to forty: and hard drinking and the
unrestraincd indulgence of violent passions had
left their dire stamp upon features which nature
had made none too attractive. How any woman
Of Caucasian race could have SO Shut her eyes
as to give herself to such man. was in ltseli
amazing; but the amazemcnt became ASTOUNDING
when it was crcdby reported that Coloncl
Humby's second wife was young and charming
we'll bred and rich. The feminine portion oil julia
bad were pale with womanly Indignation he I'M
married men developed a kind of madness-even
the married men caught it; for il was only human
nature in revolt against an outrage. There was
drinking at the mcsscs and Assembly Rooms such
as no one remembered before. and play seemed
literally reckless Everybody knew Colonel Hum
by; and il was mOnsrous that he should have got
a wife so young and so charming. so wcli-brcd ana
so rich. as this second bride was reported TO be-
But although the Indignation of Julabad was
both loud and deep, the pity of it" was that
which was deeper still and about winch no
tongue spoke The late Mrs. lIumby was not
q beautiful woman social iiEurc or any
degree: people saw very little OF her; but
they knew she had clung to her husband WIN
TN ill-requited fidelity which had hcipci nm
upward in life, and more than once sNcu
slave and had died from brutality, as her
reward. Every body knew this. and that Colonel
lumby WAS n murderer wiom the law had no
lower TO touch. As soon as he buried ms vic
lie started of 10 Europe on a years furioush;
md now he was bringing back inside OF nine
months this second wifc-the only child ana
leiress of a millionaire, As has been said, wrath
and Indignation against the man were iOud on
every tongue; for the il-starred bride there was
deep pity. Jullaiad knew nothing concerning
the second Mrs IIumly except that She was AmcrI-
can by birth. not English-unti an officer In the
Southwod Fusiiicrs. who had once met her, sup
piled few further particulars. Her father had
made fortune in the West Indian trade lAcu-
tenant Everest had made their acquaintance d
COUPE Of wears ago at Mentonc. where they were
staying on account Of the old gcntlcmanS health.
All the charms of youth and beauty and lnnO-
cence and amiability were embodied in the Amcrt-
can maiden. Intercepted to account ior h'r
acceI ting Colonel Humhy for a husband, Lieu
terant Everest was dumb-it was unaccounaDle;
Xnd the contemplation Of the fact made him, VINO
Lad sen her look like a man who had been raw
shed Of his Lr De on the very scpsoi the altar
Colonel Ilumby and his bride were in its midst
before Jullalad became aware Of the TACT No
preparation of any kind had been made at the
ColOnel's bupgalow the Colonel himself presum-
ably regarding such preparations as unnecessary;
so that the second Mrs. Ilumby found the place
exactly as the first Mrs IIumby had left it-evcn
TO the details of tic atters SLIPPERS and dresses
which still occupied their accustomed Places The
first time Colonel Humby was seen after his
return his face famed with brandy, as of Old but
none anticipated otherwise. OF Mrs. llumby. Jul
labad could not get single glimpse. The Colonel
never went to church. and very likely refused
10 allow her to go; at all events, when two sun
DAYS had passed and Mrs. lIumby did not appear,
Mrs Colonel s, cedy, sitting in council over a D
o'clock tea in her vcranda, dccreed that she
herself and four other ladies of lesser degree
should call ON" the lOor bride in due ORDER OF
precedence. and bring all the social battery OF
the station to her relief. 50, one alter announcer
they called. and were received timldly and crate
fully by the young wife. But their calls were
not returned. Sometimes in the early morning
Mrs Iumby was passed on her pony in the par
tally reclaimed tract of jungle which was dlgnl-
fed with the name Of The Park sometimes
she was seen sitting alone in the vcranda reading
or sewing. or wandering about the garden IN the
late evening" but she was as isolated from all
intercourse with human bcings-cAccpt her nhtVc
servants-as if her husbands bungalow were
zenana.
In this matter Colonel IIumby was too strong
for Julabad. lie cared nothing for society in the
station which, indeed, he had long ago pro-
vokcd and delcd 10 his utmost, so that he could
add little more 10 his popularity now; and he
was his wifcs lord and master. For what people
said he did not care; he required his vile TO
obey his will, and 20 hold no communication
with others save with his permission and in his
IIumby's presence, one desired any communi-
cation with Mrs. Humby the result was her
complete isolation.
1t was in February Colonel IIumby brought
his wife TO Jullabad and 10y the time that people
began to prepare for the annual migration to the
hlls-in the early days Of April-the circum-
stances of Mrs. Humby had grown TO lie accepted
as an established fact about which it useless
TO talk any longer. In the stir OF moving 10
the hills she was for time forgotten Etherla'
the hill station which pertained to JuIlahad, only
fifty miles off was very delightful place and
famous for its pace" so that for couple of
months pleasure Tegncd paramount in that bracng
and wicked altitude About this time. however,
men who had been left behind the hot plains
for duty began TO turn up. exhausted, for their
Six weeks leave, and these brought strange
rumors with them. Colonel Ifumby was keep
ing his young wife the plains for the hot
seasonl This inhuman enough: but other
stories GOatcd about on the air-stores spoken
In whispers. The was drinking heavily and
using the poor child with cruelty.
Among the officers who obliged TO remain
In Jullabad for the necessary discharge Of military
duties was Lieutenant Everest Of the Fusiliers,
already mentioned. Three other officers OF his
cOrrs remained, and from the vcranda Of their
mess bungalow there was view OF the COM
pound" belonging to the bungalow OF Colonel
Uumby. Being imprisoned within doors for ten
or twelve hours of the blazing day, they sat
smoking and talking in their veranda-or some
distance out in the Open-up 10 | or o'clock
in the morning One night in July-a STILL
sitting night, the atmosi here like that of heated
oven, though it was half an hour past midnight
the four men lay back in rocking-chairs in
the open com ound languidly smoking. and for
the most part silent through sheer want Of breath
10 carry on conversation. The 81 ness
suddenly broken upon in a manner TO rouse
into instant activity the enfeebled vitality OF
the four officers and quicken their interest 10
a degree Of excitement. Cries of alarm broke
on the air from the direction of Colonel
IIumby's bungalow These were followed in a
minute or two by the native servants flying in all
directions from the compound.
"IIumby is in 6t," observed one OF the officers
.. 4 Lo L.. fhraSI fhn f;unc y